Oxidation and corrosion resistance of TiAl3 coatings

Titanium aluminides based on TiAl, TiAl₃ and Ti₃Al are potential materials for high temperature aerospace applications. Their low density, high temperature creep resistance, high temperature strength and high oxidation resistance make them excellent coating materials. However these coatings are likely to be subjected to high temperature and corrosive environments during service. Hence it is aimed to study the oxidation and corrosion resistance of TiAl₃ coatings on various types of substrates. In the present work, TiAl₃ is coated on high speed steel, stainless steel 304, stainless steel 316, copper and aluminum substrates by physical vapor deposition technique. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the presence of TiAl₃ phase. The hardness studies reveal that better hardness can be achieved with thick coatings. The oxidation behavior of the coatings is studied by carrying out step stress experiments at elevated temperatures. Coated samples are heated up from 400°C in the steps of 100°C for 1h in each step to 1000°C. The mass gain caused by oxidation was determined. The oxidation curve drawn as a function of mass gain versus temperature reveals that TiAl₃ film started to oxidize above 800°C, where as oxidation of the uncoated substrates began at a much lower temperature of 550°C. The excellent oxidation resistance of the coatings can be attributed to the formation of an amorphous Al₂O₃ film. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and EDAX analysis confirm the presence of an amorphous Al₂O₃ film. The corrosion behavior of TiAl₃ coatings are investigated by the polarization resistance experiments in NaCl aqueous solution at ambient temperature. According to the Tafel plot analysis, the coatings show lower corrosion rate than the untreated substrates. The major corrosion in the coatings arose from electrolyte penetration into the pores of the coatings. In fact, a dense coating showed a high corrosion resistance in an aqueous medium.